Catch the Early Bird Rate while you can!

Hello placemakers! Don’t forget to catch the early bird rate [2] and join us at Placemaking Week in Chattanooga this October 1-4 before it’s too late!

The early rate is $595 and is only available until July 12th at 5pm EST -- just under two weeks away. After this time, the rate will increase and you will miss out on the lowest rate available to attend the event!

We have a lot to be excited about at this point during Placemaking Week preparations. We are so pleased with how the program is shaping up, and we can't wait to share it with you throughout July and August!

Under the umbrella of this year's core focus on equity and inclusion, we will be featuring a range of key topics such as: placekeeping; innovation and entrepreneurship; street design and safety; community engagement best practices; crowdfunding; DIY urbanism; placemaking for women and children, to name just a few. Curious about some of the breakout sessions you can expect to see this year? Here's a small taste of what's in store:

• This isn't child's play! What happens when you actually ask children to design their playground? - Kaboom, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, City of Detroit, Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance
   
• Fostering Innovation in Rural Communities Through Place-Based Initiatives - Levitt Foundation, Poesis Design and Planning, Main Street America
   
• The Placemakers Guide to Equitable Engagement & Decision Making - Concordia Architects, NOLA
   
• Placemaking and Social Inclusion: Engaging Underserved Populations to Create Vibrant Public Spaces - Fountainhouse, Downtown Atlanta, Central Atlanta Progress

Take a look at our program at a glance [3], to understand the overview of events and activities over the main conference days. And, stay tuned as we roll out detailed program content here on this newsletter!

Getting to know Chattanooga

And now for why you should really be excited about Placemaking Week. Meet this year's incredible Local Host Committee! We couldn’t be connected with a greater group of leaders and advocates, working diligently to make sure that this event is not only meaningful and enjoyable, but has a lasting positive and equitable impact in Chattanooga.

Part of their work has consisted of connecting with local placemakers to arrange off-site workshops (aka mobile workshops) for the event. These workshops will provide an opportunity for locals to co-create and engage with conference participants, and strengthen the work of the communities building places for people throughout Chattanooga.

Sponsorships

Interested in sponsoring Placemaking Week this year? Here's why you should.

An effort is being made throughout this event to truly understand what "equity" looks like, and one way we are attempting this is to make Placemaking Week as accessible, and impactful, as we possibly can. Therefore your support at the event:

• Gives directly back to our host city and its communities by providing scholarships to cover the cost of registration for Chattanoogans who might not otherwise be able to attend
   
• Has the potential to support local placemakers by providing seed funding, and/or donations to help contribute to activating Chattanooga's public spaces

Please reach out to us to learn more about how you can support placemaking in the communities of our host city! You can find our sponsorship package here [4].